1996 Survey of Organic Vendors 
at California Farmers Markets

In the summer of 1996, Farmers Market Monthly, the print predecessor to Seasonal Chef, conducted a spot check of farmers markets in California to count organic farmers, of various types. Market displays marked with a sign indicating "certified organic" were counted as certified. Those that advertised the produce as "registered organic" or just plain "organic" were counted as registered. Farmers who labeled their produce "no spray" or "pesticide free" got their own category in the headcount. All the rest of the farmers were counted as conventional. Here are the results of the survey. (The top half of the chart covers markets in Northern California while the bottom half includes markets in Southern California.